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{{Infobox type
{{Infobox type
|type=creature
|type=creature
|stats={{stats|B=39|G=1|R=1|UB=3|BG=2|BR=3|WB=1}}
|stats={{stats|U=2|B=55|R=2|G=1|UB=4|BR=4|WB=1|BG=5}}
{{stats|Skeleton creation|C=2|B=8|R=2|WB=1|BG=1|state=collapsed}}
as of ''[[Murders at Karlov Manor]]''
}}
}}
{{TOCright}}
{{TOCright}}
A '''Skeleton''' is comprised of the bones of a creature. In ''[[Magic]]'', the [[creature]] [[subtype|type]] is used for cards that depict the magically animated bones of deceased creatures.
A '''Skeleton''' comprises a creature's bones. In ''[[Magic]]'', the [[creature type]] is used for cards that depict the magically animated bones of deceased creatures.


==Description==
==Description==
Skeletons are with two exceptions, <c>Viashino Skeleton</c> and <c>Golgari Grave-Troll</c>, [[Black]]. There are also the two multicolored cards <c>Skeleton Ship</c> and <c>Kathari Remnant</c> which are also [[Blue]]. Skeletons are closely associated with the ability [[Regeneration]].
Skeletons are, with a few exceptions, a mono-[[Black]] aligned "race". All multicolored Skeletons are also partially black, though <c>Deathless Knight</c> can be cast for all-green. Skeletons were intertwined with the mechanical ability to keep coming back, originally closely associated with the ability [[Regeneration]] until its deprecation - now [[R&D]] tends to give them some kind of limited self [[reanimation]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/151424762013/hey-maro-its-my-birthday-so-could-i-get-some|title=Some trivia about Skeletons?|October 06, 2016}}</ref>


Most often Skeletons are of [[Human]] origin, but that subtype is never added. This is different with other creatures. Known Skeletons include <c title="Dragons">Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon</c>, <c title="Crocodiles">Skeletal Crocodile</c>, <c title="Snakes">Skeletal Snake</c>, <c title="Wurms">Skeletal Wurm</c> and <c title="Walls">Wall of Bone</c>.
Most often Skeletons are of [[Human]] origin, but that subtype is never added. This is shared with [[Zombie]], [[Spirit]], and [[Illusion]] as being both a race and a class. Known Skeletons include <c title="Dragons">Bone Dragon</c>, <c title="Dinosaurs">Dread Osseosaur</c>, <c title="Crocodiles">Skeletal Crocodile</c>, <c title="Snakes">Skeletal Snake</c>, <c title="Trolls">Golgari Grave Troll</c>, <c title="Wurms">Skeletal Wurm</c> and <c title="Walls">Wall of Bone</c>.


Skeletons have become intertwined with the mechanical ability to keep coming back. In ''[[Alpha]]'', it started with [[regeneration]] but now [[R&D]] tends to give them some kind of limited self [[reanimation]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/151424762013/hey-maro-its-my-birthday-so-could-i-get-some|title=Some trivia about Skeletons?|October 06, 2016}}</ref>
===Alara===
Anywhere on [[Grixis]], you can find the animated skeletons of the dead.<ref name="AlaraGuide">[[Doug Beyer]] & [[Jenna Helland]] (2008). ''[[A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara]]'', [[Wizards of the Coast]]. ISBN-13 978-0786951246</ref> The skeleton is the common foot soldier of the necromancer's army and personal retinue, but unbound skeletons can also be found. When necromancers die or finally lose their grip on sanity, their skeleton minions are freed from service and roam Grixis, motivated only by an intrinsic hatred for life. Most skeletons are human in origin, the puppeteered remains of ancient Vithians or their present-day descendants, but skeletons also exist that were once other species, such as rats, bats, wolves, viashino, ogres, minotaurs, and rarely, more massive creatures such as baloths, hellions, and dragons. Large, durable skeletons are prized on Grixis, as most skeletons on the plane do not self-reassemble, but rather continue to sustain damage until they are unable to move, rejoining the heaps of scrap corpses that litter the plane.
 
===Eldraine===
Undead human knights are known to patrol the outer Wilds far from the Realm.<ref name="D&D Eldraine">[[James Wyatt]] et al. (2023). "''[[D&D Monstrous Compendium: Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures]]''". [[Wizards of the Coast]].</ref> Known as deathless riders, lich-knights, or fell horsemen, they ride skeletal war[[horse]]s or [[nightmare]]s. They are said to serve the [[List of secondary characters/Eldraine|Shadow Queen]], who rules from the castle Dynnistad.
 
In stark contrast to the knights of Eldraine, the deathless riders lack all virtue.<ref name="D&D Eldraine"/> They are few in number, but when mortal knights meet them in the Wilds, the encounter rarely ends well for the living. The deathless riders fight with superhuman strength, heedless of wounds and relentless in their assault. While they understand the languages they spoke while alive, they are no longer able to sleep.


==Altered Chinese art==
==Altered Chinese art==
The People's Republic of China frowns on the public display of human or humanoid skeletons and ''Magic'' cards are no exception. For this reason the artwork of many chinese-language cards depicting skeletons, though not necessarily of the type skeleton, had to be altered to make it possible to sell the product.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/chinese-skeletons-2002-03-13|Chinese Skeletons (''Urza's Saga'' and ''Sixth Edition'')|[[Magic Arcana]]|March 13, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/chinese-art-2002-02-12|Chinese art (''Seventh Edition'')|[[Magic Arcana]]|February 12, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-april-2005-2005-04-01-0|Ask Wizards|[[Worth Wollpert]]|April 18, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/alternate-chinese-art-ravnica-part-1-2005-11-14|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Ravnica'', Part 1|[[Magic Arcana]]|November 14, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/alternate-chinese-art-ravnica-part-2-2005-11-30|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Ravnica'', Part 2|[[Magic Arcana]]|November 30, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/alternate-chinese-art-ravnica-part-3-2005-12-14|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Ravnica'', Part 3|[[Magic Arcana]]|December 14, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|alternate-chinese-art-guildpact-part-1-2006-02-23|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Guildpact'', Part 1|[[Magic Arcana]]|February 23, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|alternate-chinese-art-guildpact-part-2-2006-03-06|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Guildpact'', Part 2|[[Magic Arcana]]|March 06, 2006}}</ref> This practice was abandoned for ''[[Shards of Alara]]''. While skeletons are still not exactly "polite," they have turned more into an unlucky symbol that the older generation reacts much more strongly to than the younger, games-playing population.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/ask-wizards-2008-11-13|Ask Wizards?|[[Magic Arcana]]|November 13, 2008}}</ref>
[[File:7ED Drudge Skeletons.jpg|thumb|300px|right|English and Chinese ''[[Seventh Edition]]'' Drudge Skeletons ]]
The People's Republic of China frowns on the public display of human or humanoid skeletons and ''Magic'' cards are no exception. For this reason, the artwork of many Chinese-language cards depicting skeletons, though not necessarily of the skeleton type, had to be altered to make it possible to sell the product.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/chinese-skeletons-2002-03-13|Chinese Skeletons (''Urza's Saga'' and ''Sixth Edition'')|[[Magic Arcana]]|March 13, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/chinese-art-2002-02-12|Chinese art (''Seventh Edition'')|[[Magic Arcana]]|February 12, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-april-2005-2005-04-01-0|Ask Wizards|[[Worth Wollpert]]|April 18, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/alternate-chinese-art-ravnica-part-1-2005-11-14|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Ravnica'', Part 1|[[Magic Arcana]]|November 14, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/alternate-chinese-art-ravnica-part-2-2005-11-30|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Ravnica'', Part 2|[[Magic Arcana]]|November 30, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/alternate-chinese-art-ravnica-part-3-2005-12-14|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Ravnica'', Part 3|[[Magic Arcana]]|December 14, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|alternate-chinese-art-guildpact-part-1-2006-02-23|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Guildpact'', Part 1|[[Magic Arcana]]|February 23, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|alternate-chinese-art-guildpact-part-2-2006-03-06|Alternate Chinese Art in ''Guildpact'', Part 2|[[Magic Arcana]]|March 06, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-april-2005-2005-04-01-0|Ask Wizards - April, 2005|[[Wizards of the Coast]]|April, 2005}}</ref> This practice was abandoned for ''[[Shards of Alara]]''. While skeletons are still not exactly "polite," they have turned more into an unlucky symbol that the older generation reacts much more strongly to than the younger, games-playing population.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/ask-wizards-2008-11-13|Ask Wizards?|[[Magic Arcana]]|November 13, 2008}}</ref>


==Notable Skeletons==
==Notable Skeletons==
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
;Dominaria
*<c>Bladewing, Deathless Tyrant</c>, a skeletal [[dragon]] of the [[Bladewing brood]].
*The <c>Skeleton Ship</c>, apparently reanimated by [[Lim-Dûl]] during the [[Ice Age (event)|Ice Age]]
*[[Tinybones]]<ref>{{DailyRef|feature/lore-jumpstart-cards-2020-06-22|The Lore of ''Jumpstart'' on the Cards|[[Wizards of the Coast]]|June 22, 2020}}</ref>


'''Dominaria'''
;Ixalan
* The <c>Skeleton Ship</c>, apparently reanimated by [[Lim-Dûl]] during the [[Ice Age (event)|Ice Age]]
*[[Grim Captain|The Grim Captain]]
*[[Uchbenbak]]


'''New Phyrexia'''
;New Phyrexia
* [[Skithiryx]], a skeletal [[dragon]]
*[[Skithiryx]], a skeletal [[dragon]]


'''Theros'''
;Theros
Deathless soldiers called '''phylaskia''' guard the borders of [[The Underworld]].<ref>Flavor text for {{card|Underworld Sentinel}}</ref>
*Deathless soldiers called '''phylaskia''' guard the borders of [[The Underworld]].<ref>Flavor text for {{card|Underworld Sentinel}}</ref>
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
* In the ''[[Sixth Edition]]'' the [[creature type]] '''Dead''' (<c>Kjeldoran Dead</c>) was obsoleted, and changed to Skeleton.
*In the ''[[Sixth Edition]]'' the [[creature type]] '''Dead''' (<c>Kjeldoran Dead</c>) was obsoleted, and changed to Skeleton.
* <c>Grafted Exoskeleton</c>, <c>Endoskeleton</c> and <c>Skeleton Shard</c> are [[artifacts]], not Skeletons.
*<c>Grafted Exoskeleton</c>, <c>Endoskeleton</c> and <c>Skeleton Shard</c> are [[artifacts]], not Skeletons.
* The [[manland]] <c>Spawning Pool</c> can become a 1/1 black Skeleton creature with "{{B}}: Regenerate this creature" until end of turn.
*The [[manland]] <c>Spawning Pool</c> can become a 1/1 black Skeleton creature with "{{B}}: Regenerate this creature" until end of turn.
* The horror [[Innistrad block]] was especially suited for the use of skeletons.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/sketches-manor-skeleton-2011-10-04|Sketches: Manor Skeleton|[[Monty Ashley]]|October 04, 2011}}</ref>
*The horror [[Innistrad block]] was especially suited for the use of skeletons.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/sketches-manor-skeleton-2011-10-04|Sketches: Manor Skeleton|[[Monty Ashley]]|October 04, 2011}}</ref>


==Tokens==
==Tokens==
Line 43: Line 59:
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{Creature types|Races}}
{{Creature types|Races|Skeletons}}

Latest revision as of 01:45, 10 April 2024

Skeleton
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Statistics
74 cards
{U} 2.7% {B} 74.3% {R} 2.7% {G} 1.4% {U/B} 5.4% {B/R} 5.4% {W/B} 1.4% {B/G} 6.8%
14 Skeleton creation cards
{C} 14.3% {B} 57.1% {R} 14.3% {W/B} 7.1% {B/G} 7.1%
as of Murders at Karlov Manor
Scryfall Search
type:"Skeleton"

A Skeleton comprises a creature's bones. In Magic, the creature type is used for cards that depict the magically animated bones of deceased creatures.

Description

Skeletons are, with a few exceptions, a mono-Black aligned "race". All multicolored Skeletons are also partially black, though Deathless Knight can be cast for all-green. Skeletons were intertwined with the mechanical ability to keep coming back, originally closely associated with the ability Regeneration until its deprecation - now R&D tends to give them some kind of limited self reanimation.[1]

Most often Skeletons are of Human origin, but that subtype is never added. This is shared with Zombie, Spirit, and Illusion as being both a race and a class. Known Skeletons include Dragons, Dinosaurs, Crocodiles, Snakes, Trolls, Wurms and Walls.

Alara

Anywhere on Grixis, you can find the animated skeletons of the dead.[2] The skeleton is the common foot soldier of the necromancer's army and personal retinue, but unbound skeletons can also be found. When necromancers die or finally lose their grip on sanity, their skeleton minions are freed from service and roam Grixis, motivated only by an intrinsic hatred for life. Most skeletons are human in origin, the puppeteered remains of ancient Vithians or their present-day descendants, but skeletons also exist that were once other species, such as rats, bats, wolves, viashino, ogres, minotaurs, and rarely, more massive creatures such as baloths, hellions, and dragons. Large, durable skeletons are prized on Grixis, as most skeletons on the plane do not self-reassemble, but rather continue to sustain damage until they are unable to move, rejoining the heaps of scrap corpses that litter the plane.

Eldraine

Undead human knights are known to patrol the outer Wilds far from the Realm.[3] Known as deathless riders, lich-knights, or fell horsemen, they ride skeletal warhorses or nightmares. They are said to serve the Shadow Queen, who rules from the castle Dynnistad.

In stark contrast to the knights of Eldraine, the deathless riders lack all virtue.[3] They are few in number, but when mortal knights meet them in the Wilds, the encounter rarely ends well for the living. The deathless riders fight with superhuman strength, heedless of wounds and relentless in their assault. While they understand the languages they spoke while alive, they are no longer able to sleep.

Altered Chinese art

English and Chinese Seventh Edition Drudge Skeletons

The People's Republic of China frowns on the public display of human or humanoid skeletons and Magic cards are no exception. For this reason, the artwork of many Chinese-language cards depicting skeletons, though not necessarily of the skeleton type, had to be altered to make it possible to sell the product.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] This practice was abandoned for Shards of Alara. While skeletons are still not exactly "polite," they have turned more into an unlucky symbol that the older generation reacts much more strongly to than the younger, games-playing population.[13]

Notable Skeletons

Dominaria
Ixalan
New Phyrexia
Theros

Trivia

Tokens

Token Name Color Type Line P/T Text Box Source Printings
Skeleton Black Creature — Skeleton 1/1
Black Creature — Skeleton 1/1 {B}: Regenerate this creature.
Black Creature — Skeleton 2/1
Black Creature — Skeleton 4/1 Menace
Skeleton Pirate Black Creature — Skeleton Pirate 2/2
Heroes of the Realm
Token Name Color Type Line P/T Text Box Source Printings
Skeleton Black Creature — Skeleton 1/1 When this creature dies, each opponent gains 2 life.
Test cards
Token Name Color Type Line P/T Text Box Source Printings
Reassembling Skeleton Black Creature — Skeleton Warrior 1/1 (This is a token card which doesn't cease to exist in a zone other than the battlefield and has a {1}{B} mana cost.)
{1}{B}: Return Reassembling Skeleton from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.

References

  1. ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 06, 2016). "Some trivia about Skeletons?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  2. ↑ Doug Beyer & Jenna Helland (2008). A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786951246
  3. ↑ a b James Wyatt et al. (2023). "D&D Monstrous Compendium: Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures". Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Magic Arcana (March 13, 2002). "Chinese Skeletons (Urza's Saga and Sixth Edition)". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ Magic Arcana (February 12, 2002). "Chinese art (Seventh Edition)". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ Worth Wollpert (April 18, 2005). "Ask Wizards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. ↑ Magic Arcana (November 14, 2005). "Alternate Chinese Art in Ravnica, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ Magic Arcana (November 30, 2005). "Alternate Chinese Art in Ravnica, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ Magic Arcana (December 14, 2005). "Alternate Chinese Art in Ravnica, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ Magic Arcana (February 23, 2006). "Alternate Chinese Art in Guildpact, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. ↑ Magic Arcana (March 06, 2006). "Alternate Chinese Art in Guildpact, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (April, 2005). "Ask Wizards - April, 2005". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ Magic Arcana (November 13, 2008). "Ask Wizards?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 22, 2020). "The Lore of Jumpstart on the Cards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. ↑ Flavor text for Underworld Sentinel
  16. ↑ Monty Ashley (October 04, 2011). "Sketches: Manor Skeleton". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
 
Multicolored {M}
Majority {W}
Majority {U}
Majority {B}
Majority {R}
Majority {G}
Majority {C}
Majority Token
Crossover
 
Notable Races
Notable Classes
Other
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